AARON ROME SUSPENDED 4 GAMES FOR HIT ON NATHAN HORTON

The NHL has suspended Aaron Rome for last night’s late hit on Nathan Horton:

“Two factors were considered in reaching this decision,” per NHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy. “The hit by Rome was clearly beyond what is acceptable in terms of how late it was delivered after Horton had released the puck and it caused a significant injury.”

Aaron Rome will miss the remainder of the Stanley Cup Finals. If the Finals end before Game 7, the suspension will carry over to the start of the 2011-12 regular season.

The NHL got this one right. Let’s hope they can be consistent (something the NHL has sorely lacked) through the remainder of these playoffs and next season.

10 replies

I feel like this is another instance where we react because a guy got hurt. It is definitely hard to see a guy get so severely hurt and luckily he is not paralyzed but I think we are overreacting to this one too. If Horton gets up then it’s a 2 minute interference penalty and no one is talking about this right now. The recent Buster Posey incident is somewhat the same. This wasn’t legal because it was a late hate, unlike the Posey incident, but the concept is similar. I just don’t think the hit is quite as bad as so many people seem to be making it out to be. The NHL has seen far worse hits that haven’t warranted in any suspension so I’m confused yet again. Also, you think you could check out my blog cuz I’d love to hear what you have to say. http://chrisross91.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/significant-injury/

I’m not so sure he wasn’t just exploding upwards in a follow through of the hit. His intent was to stand up at the blueline. If you track Romes movements you see he was tracking the puck, with speed, and then clearly stops at the blue line to make the hit. Horton was continuing through, not looking, and ran into a wall (not literally but figuratively).

If this was Chara, or Bieksa nobody would even be looking at a suspension. Chara did way worse to a Montreal player and got nothing.

That’s possible. It was close though. I’ll have to watch the replay again But I saw one foot off the ice before contact and the other off the ice right at the point of contact. That’s launching yourself. When you explode upwards your feet leave the ice jut after contact is made.

Its like the difference between flicking your wrists before you make contact with a golf ball verse exploding through the shot. A very fine line between them But one that makes all the difference.

The way I look at it, Rome clearly expected Horton there a split second earlier. He had stopped, planted his feet, and exploded upward. Had Horton been a step ahead the hit would have been text book. Judging from the lateness of the hit, I think Rome was just too far ahead of the play. He had already moved to hit, but misjudged the distance that Horton was covering.

Of course this is only speculation on my part, and Rome could of been trying to decapitate Horton, but this is the finals, and 2 of the very best, well built teams out there. I would like to think the integrity of the game, and the evolution of this sport is more than taking cheap shots to injure.

… I think the ice should be suspended for four games as well, because that’s what really caused the injury. They should play on grass, or perhaps on the petals of roses, for the duration of the series.

Commentators said it was NOT a blind side hit as he was a bit in front of Horton.. think that was Rome’s
only saving grace.. I think they could have issued a longer suspension. .. read that Horton suffered a
‘Severe’ concussion. Long road to recovery as we have all learned this year.
GO KING GO !!!